Endless screen conveyer



'Jan. 24, 1928. 1,657,414

- J. w. SILVER ENDLES S SCREEN CONVEYER Filed May 2, 1927 Patented Jan.24, 1928.

JAMES XV. SILVER, 01E OGDEN, UTAH.

ENDLESS SCREEN CONVEYER.

Application filed May 2,

This invention relates to improvements in endless screen conveyors, ofthe slatted belt type, which have their conveying surface formed ofspaced br :5 extending transversely between and carried by side sprocketchains or their equivalent.

Although the improvements primarily have been designed as furtherdesirable equipment for the sugar beet screening conveyer covered in theJ. A. Lynch United States patent, for beetdumps, No. 1,432,195 ofOctober 17, 1922, and while the improvements shall hereinafter bedisclosed more particularly in such relations, still it is to beunderstood that they are not to be limited in this respect, but may beemployed in any other equivalent or analogous uses.

A vertically agitating motion is preferably imparted to the upper orconveying portion, of such conveyers, to cause a shaking or abruptraising and lowering thereof for more effective screening purposes,which motion may be attained by impacting means located underneath saidupper portion, The inner end of the conveyer is associated with the opentop of a tare receptacle or dirt hopper, and the lower or return portionof the conveyer is positioned, along its forward zone, immediately overan apron base or skirt board therefor, discharging into said receptaclefor important reasons well understood in the weighing and screening ofdirty loads of beets, the dirt and leafy refuse being fed along saidboard by the scraping action of the spaced bars of the conveyertraveling thereon.

These types of screening conveyers in the main serve their aims verywell indeed, but obviously there is a materially destructive wear ontheir spaced cross bars, as they ride upon said base board, which wearis greatly augmented by an abrading action of the dirt itself. Also, theleafy refuse of the beets, although normally more or less free to dropbetween said spaced bars during the latters conveying travel, when fedalong said base board under the scraping force of said bars, on thereturn travel of the latter, some of said leafy refuse not infrequentlybecomes entangled across the bars, being thus carried around the upperconveying zone, so that to some extent such leafy refuse obstructs thespaces between the bars, and accordingly in terferes with maximumscreening of the dirt from the beets, which beets are discharged overthe outer end of the conveyer. Even 1927. Serial No. 188,270.

more important still, however, in actual operations under some soilconditions, say in wet weather and especially with muddy and the moretenaciously clinging clay soils, considerable difficulty and troublehave been experienced in attempting to maintain said base board clean orclear of sticky soil or hard deposits formed thereby and accumulat ticalembodiment of the improvements, in

which drawings Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of abar screen conveyer of the type aforesaid, with my improved equipmentapplied. and as associated with the dirt receiving hopper or tarereceptacle fragmentarily shown; Figure 2 is an analogous View but brokenaway in parts and drawn on a substantially larger scale; Figure 3 is afragmentary plan view looking down on Figure 2 at a position where oneof a series of scraping units is attached, in accordance with the mainfeature of the improvements;

Figure '1 is a transverse sectional view through one of the elements ofsuch scraping units. where such scraping units areof sectionalconstruction which is preferred, and being shown as of triangular shape;and Fig ure 5 is a central vertical longitudinal sec tional View ofFigure 4. 1

Referring briefly to the bar belt screen conveyer itself, which in beetdumps or the likeis either directly or indirectly associated with a maininclined conveyer to receive the discharge therefrom, the numeral 10indicates the series of spaced cross-bars that may be supported at theirends by side sprocket chains but which, as actually shown, embodysuitably bent ends 11 to provide link-like hooks or looped connectionsbetween adjacent bar ends. This bar belt conveyer reeves over endsupporting rollers which may 0011- sistof head sprocket or toothedwheels 12,

keyed to a drive shaft- 13 therefor, and a pair of tail idlers 14 whichmay be toothed or otherwise. Side guards for the conveyer are indicatedat 15, but only the one on the far side actually appearing on thedrawings, and 16 are suitably mounted idler. rollers, which may beemployed for supporting the upper portion of the bar beltintern'iediately of said head and tail rollers, while the numeral 17indicates the aforementioned apron base or skirt board, disposedimmediately under the forward return portion ofsaid bar belt, anddischarging into the dirt hopper or tures are broadly old, as disclosedinmy own prior application or in the Lynch patent aforesaid.

However, in addition to the scraping units before mentioned, whichperhaps are the more important feature of the present im' provements.there isalso embodied in the present case improved means for moreeffectively in'iparting a vertically agitating motion to theentireconveying portion of the bar belt, with a wave-like shaking motion as itwere. and which feature will now be 'described in advance of thedetailed description of the scraping units.

The agitator shaft 19, located towardsthe inner end of theconveyer to bedisposed over the dirt hopper 18, is supplemented by a plurality of suchshafts carrying rotary agitators, two being actually shown between saidfirst agitator and the outer end of the conveyor. These additionalshaftsiare inclicated at 2t and 25, and may mount sprocket wheels 26 and27, or their equivalent, shown in dotted outline at Fig. 1, which aredriven by the element 22, but it-is obviousthat other means may beemployed for driving the several shafts.

As these rotary agitators, or. beater-like shakers,are of the sameconstruction, there will only be described the central one which isshown'on anenlarged scale at FigureZ.

The cross'shaft 2 1 mounts a spaced pair of sidesupports, shown asspider elements emltiodying three equidistantly spaced radial armsQS,for each said spider,and between each of the complementary arms thereofthere is disposed a cross-member 29, which may be an elongated roller ifdesired,-adapted in its revohitions to engage and rccede from theunderneath side of the upper or conveying portion of the bar belt,causing at predetermined intervals. the raising and lowering of thelatter, at the position of the particular agitator. These rotaryagitators are so ar anged, in geared relation, that the cross-members25) of the alternate agitators are relatively in and. out of approximateoperative engagement with said upper conveyor portion, being always outof engagement with the lower portion thereof. Jrccord ingly, with aplurality of these rotary agitators or their equivalent, disposed alongthe underneath side of said upper conveyor portion, the latter isvertically agitated or j igged', approxi matcl y along its whole length,with an undulatory or wave-lilce shaking motion, which insures the moreUllCCljlVQ screen ing of the dirt and other refuse from the beetsconveyed along said upper conveyor portion.

l Vith reference to the aforementioned scraping units. these arecarriedas a suitably spaced series by said bar belt, being generallydesignated as complete units by the numeralSO in Figures 1 to 3, and thenumber of these units to be employed will largely be dependent upon theactual length of the conveyer and the particular operating condi tions.In some instances the scraping units might be spaced approximately threefeet apart, while in other instances the distance could be greater. Inbroad princi 'ile each of these scrapingunits could he a single clcment', or itsequ' alent, and, whether integral. or-scctional instructure, each of said units could have :ugrcater number of sides thanthree. As a matter of practice and present preference,however, each unitis shown as being of sectional form, see Figure 3, with eachsectionthereof beingof triangular shape and mounted for either conjointor independent pivotal motion, which imlcpemlent pivotal motion has itsown mrticular advantages as will later appear.

Referring now more particularly toFigures 3. to each of the triangularsetztions or blocks should providemcans'for the facile mounting anddcmounting thereof. as may be desired tor replacements orother-purposes. A practical and preferred means for doing this is toprovide one base side with a substantially deep slot 31, extendingcentrally and longitudiually for the full length of that side. and whichside is also provided with paired slots atcach side of said cen tralslot whirh paired end slots open asrecc" s to therespective other twosides of the sc. on. adjaccntly of the ends thereof, as respectivelyindicated at .li.2l3 and 3 1- 135. The central longitudinal slot BI. isadaiiitcd -to freely encompass a desired one of the cross-bars 10 of theconveyor, and the section ispivotally hold thereon by an clongatcdretaining bar 36 that extends along within the base of said slot. beingsecurely held inplace as by means of bolts or rivet rods il'i'.

As shown at Figure 3, the iil'ltll'lflllltll"illtltfli sections aredisposed in endwise relation on their conveyer bar 10, the severalsections embodying a complete one of the said scraping units, and may beheld against undue lengthwise displacement thereon by any suitablemeans, such as segmental collars or the like indicated at 38.

Also, at Figure 3, different respective base sides of the triangularblock sections are shown as disposed uppermost to illustrate that thesections may hang at any positions during their travel, except duringtheir travel along said base board 17 when they become normally disposedwith one of their base sl des, although it is immaterial which one,adapted for riding along upon said base board, in cleaning or scrapingrelation therewith,

In operations, it is understood that the material, such as sugar beetsassociated with dirt and other refuse from the field, is gradually fedupon the inner end upper portion of the conveyer, being carried forwardthereby for discharging the cleaned product over the outer end thereof,whereas the refuse there from drops through between the upper spacedbars, and this screening operation is more effectively attained, asheretofore set forth, by the particular arrangement and functioning ofthe aforesaid rotary agitators.

The refuse that drops through between the upper bars, at the inner endof the conveyer, will also drop through the lower bars, at that end, anddirectly into the tare hopper 18. Forwardly of said hopper, however, therefuse matter will drop down upon the lower bars and partly,therebetween, upon the base board 17, along which said base bars arethen traveling, and, heretofore, was dragged therealong, for discharginginto said hopper, solely by and between said lower spaced bars. Underthese prior arrangements, not only has this feed or dragging of therefuse material into the dirt hopper been at times more or lessunsatisfactory, especially under certain sticky soil and clayeyconditions as before set forth, but also as the spaced bars of theconveyer ride 1 directly upon said base board, they are subjected toconsiderable abrading wear.

By the present improvements, however, it will be observed that the lowerspaced bars, when traveling along over the base board 17, are not indirect contact with the latter, but are in fact supported insubstantially spaced relation therefrom by the scraping units, whichfeature not only permits the refuse material to more completely dropdown upon the said base board, between said spaced bars, but which alsorelieves said bars from all abrading wear thereon, and the dirt andother refuse material being pushed or scraped along the base board bythe action primarily of the scraping units themselves.

Regardless of the hanging position thereof, when the scraping unitsenter the zone of common to sugar beet loads from the fields, i

which may have become entangled upon or entwined about scraping units.Also, 1n traveling along the base board, if any of the sectionsencounter a heavy lump of mud or like obstruction, it will have agouging-like action thereon, which would tend to forwardly tilt thescraping unit section momentarily, and this tendency causing a furthershearing action, on any entwined leaves, relatively to the next adjacenttriangular section.

From all of the foregoing, it is believed that the objects, advantagesand functioning of the improvements will be clearly apparent, butalthough I have thus set forth the same fully, in accordance with mypresent preferences, it will nevertheless be under stood that I do notwish to unnecessarily confine myself to all of the details exactly asdisclosed, excepting as they may come within the terms or tenor of theensuing claims, or equivalent elements and combinations thereof, or asfairly interpreted in the light of the specification if necessary. WhatI do claim, as new and patentable 1s:

1. The combination of an endless screen conveyer, having spacedcross-bars, a base board over which said conveyer operates, an elongatedblock pivotally mounted on a complementary one of said cross-bars, inoperative relation to said base board, said block having a substantiallydeep central longitudinal slot, opening to a base face thereof for theentire length of the latter, in which slot said complementary cross-baris longitudinally disposed, a bearing and retaining bar, for saidcomplementary cross bar, extending along within said slot exteriorly ofsaid complementary cross-bar, and securing means holding said bearingand retaining bar in position.

2. The combination of an endless screen conveyer, having spacedcross-bars for its conveying means, a base board over which saidconveyer operates, and a series of elongated flat sided scraping unitscarried by and extending transversely of said conveyer in operativecontacting relation to said base board, each of the said scraping unitsbeing mounted for rotation, axially of its length, on and around acomplementary cross-bar of said conveyer.

3. The combination of an endless screen conveyer, having spacedcross-bars for its conveyin means, a base board over which tactingrelation:tosaid base board, each of the said scraping units beingmounted for I rotation, axially cofits length, on and around acon'iplenientary crossbar of said conveyer.

4. The combination of an endless screen conver er, having spacedcross-bars for its conveying means, a base board over Which saidconreyer operates and a series of sectional elongated scraping unitscarried by and extending transversely ofsaid conveyer in operativerelation to said base board, each section of said respective units beingmounted for IOtdtlOIl, axially of 1ts length, on and around acomplementary cross-bar of said COIIVG YGL'.

5. The combination of an endless screen conveyer, having spacedcross-bars for its conveying means, a base board over which saidconveyer operates, and a series of sectionally divided elongatedscraping units carried by and extending transversely of said conveyer inoperative relation to said base i ard, each section of said scrapingunits being;- oi. triangular shape in cross-sec tion and being mountedfor individual rotation, axially of its length. on and around acolnplcnicntary cross-bar of said conveyor. In testimony whereof, Iaflix my sigma tn re.

JAMES W. SILVER.

